magicJack Inventor Plans Linux Support, Improved Customer Service, and More
April 28th, 2008 by Jeffrey L. Wilson
Last week, we took a second look at the magicJack to see what new features found its way into the device since our initial magicJack review in the fall of 2007. Today we pick the brain of magicJack’s inventor, Dan Borislow, to talk Linux compatibility, number porting, customer service, and much, much more.
LAPTOP: How has the public taken to magicJack? Have sales met expectations?
Dan Borislow: The sales of the magicJack have proven just how much the public has taken to it. Since launching Version 1.0 in January, sales have grown 25% week over week and totaling over 250,000 so far, and we expect to hit 350,000 by the end of April.
Who is magicJack’s core demographic?
DB: Anyone who wants to eliminate their monthly phone bill. Pretty big demographic, huh? But seriously, I designed the magicJack to have mass market appeal for the budget-conscious consumer. That’s why you will not see us “tricking out” the magicJack with a ton of bells and whistles that will make it complicated to use. Anyone from your grandmother to your five-year-old nephew can use it to make free phone calls. Also, its portability makes it appealing to mobile professionals, travelers, etc. And once again, because it’s so easy to use, those on the go can be making phone calls within minutes from anywhere in the world where they have a computer and broadband connection.
Are there any new features planned for the magicJack?
DB: We have made optimizations to the software and hardware to improve OS compatibility, enhanced auto-run functionality, and superior echo-cancellation controls. This did not demand a new version, but is available in the latest magicJacks being sold, and older magicJacks receive an automatic software upgrade when they are plugged in. And we are pushing forward to further expand the network in the United States and Canada, with plans to push into Latin America and Europe. This will further enhance the voice quality of magicJack calls from and to anywhere in the world. We are adding to our inventory of area codes. Remember, customers can select their area codes and aren’t limited to those in their physical location (Currently they have 135 available and plan to add 74 within the next 45 days). In this way, people in locations where area codes are not yet available may still utilize the unlimited calling benefits of magicJack.
Improved customer support is something else you can expect to see. I told you earlier how fast our customer base is growing and as it continues to do so, customer support is a top priority and something I am managing very closely. Currently we offer 24/7 tech chat online, supported by over 130 people with an average wait time of seconds. Our customers can rate these agents on a 1 to 5 scale (5 being the best) and those that do not receive the highest grades possible are replaced. At the end of April, we will dismiss the bottom 15% of agents. I am finding that what we are doing is working. Our agents are learning and improving rapidly and this week, approval ratings of the agents doubled what they were the week before. We have six 5s for every 1.
We have also recently created an elite group of Super Techs to which concerns can be elevated. I do plan to keep online chat as the primary means for customer support because our customers are already online, and who wants to call and wait on hold for a telephone support agent? Also, for magicJack to work, it needs Internet access. If your Internet is down, nothing else matters from a customer service standpoint. If the issue is with the Internet provider and MJ customers are calling us, it will bog down our customer service efforts. We also run a quick system check called magicFix as a first step to any support inquiry which can catch and fix many issues automatically before the customer even has to chat with anyone.
Mac OS X support has been added to magicJack. Could Linux compatibility be coming down the pipe?
DB: Yes, and because the of the similarities between the Mac and Linux OSes, we should be able to support Linux fairly soon.
Some users on the Unofficial magicJack Forum have asked for the ability to plug the unit directly into a router; is this a possible future addition?
DB: The magicJack was not designed to plug into the router. One of the main benefits of the magicJack is its portability. By being able to plug into the USB slot, our customers can take it anywhere in the world and use it with any broadband-enabled computer. If it were designed to work with a router, the magicJack would lose its portability. So no plans to add this functionality.
Are you planning on offering number portability?
DB: We do plan to offer number portability. It is not available yet but in the coming months, you will be able to port your number for a nominal fee.
How much will porting a number cost?
DB: $10.
Will you implement the ability to record calls?
DB: No plans to implement this. Trying to keep this very simple to avoid too much customer service for the good of the whole base.
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:28 am
I love MJ. I want to PORT my existing number. Frustrated because website and article and everywhere I read when it will be available is …. “In the coming Months”
I am one of those people that would rather have them say, “Tenative for December 08 at the schedule” and then have them update as changes/issues occure. I find myself going to the website once a week and wasteing my time hoping for the miracle. I want to replace my existing landline but wife will not give up the home phone number. I have an MJ and love it. Just want to PORT my number and stop paying a monthly fee. Please give a timeframe. Not a generic statement. In the coming months implies the next few months but could be 36 months away because they are coming months also.
Thank You
Larry
May 4th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
I ordered the magicjack today via phone and wanted to cancel my order but cannot get through to anyone to do so.I have spent so much time on this and am feeling very frustrated because of the time I have spent and am not happy with customer service. Can you help me?.
May 7th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
I just received my magicjack today and i am excited. However I brought 2 thinking i would give one to my mother and she doesn’t have a computer. So I would like to return one and it is frustrating not to be able to find a phone number for the process of returning one.
Also i can’t seem to find a list of area codes ie I live in NJ so if there isnt an area code for my area then anyone calling me will pay a long distance call. I am going to install my magicjack this evening and wanted to find out about the area codes and other items before i set it up. any information you feel is useful to get started would be appreciated. thank you denise
May 7th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Hi Denise, you can find a list of area codes here: http://www.magicjack.com/1/areacodes.asp
I’ll see if I can find a customer service number for those in need.
JW
May 9th, 2008 at 3:04 am
I’ve got an Eee to use while traveling and want get it a MagicJack. Too perfect.
But having a heck of a time getting MJ past Bit Defender on my windows computer. Finally did it, thanks to mj tech support but now my computer is acting strange. We shall see. Good thing I’ve got a Mac, too. lol
May 9th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Larry:Porting will be available around July 4th on a limited basis.We are not to eager to jump into porting, as some things are beyond our control and in the control of the Bell company who is supposed to cooperate.They often do not and make us look bad.
Ellen:You will get a email confirm and you may cancel your order then.You also will not get billed for 30 daysd anyway and can cancel anytime within that timeframe.
Denise:Please read above comment on returning any Jacks you do not want.I think after you try the first one,you will want to keep the second one anyway.We do not offer phone support,as it is very inefficient and we need to know your computer is working and Highspeed.The only way we would know that is if you use our Tech Chat that is manned 24/7.It takes seconds to get started and if you are not happy with your Rep,we have an immediate escalation to a Super Rep.
Kay:Thank You for buying a magicJack and if anybody needs my help,please email me at Dan@magicJack.com
May 10th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
I bought the magic jack. I can”t receive calls.I did everything they said I should do to cure the problem with no results. I need a phone # to call for service but can”t seem to get one for help. what should I do?
May 11th, 2008 at 2:46 am
i only ordered 1 jack and i am being charged for 2 and did not get my 30 day trial
May 11th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
First: Love MJ. Paid for in one month already since I cancelled long distance.
I am getting higher speed DSL so eventually (hopefully) I can port my number. I live in the 828 area code, but no number yet and the only one listed as “soon” (Hickory) is nowhere close. Need one for Asheville or be able to port for me to be able to cancel local service and stick with DSL.
Also, I would love to be an affiliate or have MJ sponsor either the youth sports programs I’m involved with or the Xtreme Basketball World, a semi-pro 4-on-4 basketball league I hope to start in my area in 2010. ( http://www.thexbw.com )
Thanks.
May 13th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Can any one help me here? I order a magic jack about 5 or6 week ago, I email magic jack 7 time to find out if my order went thru. I did not get one email back saying yes or no. there is know way you can call any one by phone. you would think you people could make it easy to get to talk to some one. what do i have to do to get an email. or talk to some one. help
May 14th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Hi! I am interested in buying this magicjack but I could not find a telephone number to call for some questions in mind before buying it. A contact address or number is NOWHERE TO FIND. Could you please…………………..
May 15th, 2008 at 8:26 am
It’s true that you get what you pay for! I ordered 2 MJ units and received them within 3 days. I’ve installed both, one on a desktop and one on my laptop and they work great! Sure, they may be a bit choppy at times and may not be as clear as a traditional landline, but they are also hundreds of dollars less per year than standard landlines or cell phones!
I’m amazed how many whiners there are out there! Perhaps the documentation isn’t as complete as it should be, but I’d be willing to bet that the folks who complain the most are the ones who don’t bother to read the instructions anyway.
My compliments to the MagicJack developers and their staff. This is still a relatively new company and as the customer base grows, I’m sure improvements will follow. I bought my first cell phone in 1984 and the service was spotty and unreliable, but look at it now!
For all you whiners and complainers out there, find a friend who knows a little bit more about computers than you do and have them give you a hand getting the product to work if you’re having problems. For all the folks who are contemplating purchasing MagicJack — Give it a try! For the $39 initial cost including a year of service, you won’t be disappointed.
And, for goodness sake — read the instructions, or do a Google search to find help setting up your MagicJack if you need. There are a number of folks who list their phone numbers and are willing to help resolve problems.
I give the MagicJack FIVE Stars! I will certainly renew my service for the 5-year, $49.95 offer on their web site.
Kelly Trusel
Oil City, PA
May 16th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
I have had my Magic jack for 2 months and no problems so far. I guess I was also lucky to get one with my area code.
May 17th, 2008 at 12:54 am
Dan,
I’ve been waiting for Magic Jack to come to Linux before purchasing it but intend to buy several if the firmware is solid and does not compromise security or cause any problems with the computers. My interest is for my business which would have substantial use for about 5 weeks of the year and almost no use the other 47 weeks. Much of the year the lines would see 1 call or less per month. So, overall, the usage would average that of light usage for a residence. Would the concentration of calls during the short period cause any problem with your call volume usage monitor? Also, I cannot afford to compromise the business’s firewall or computer security. Could this be a problem or would it be ok to restrict the device’s access to a specific IP address for communication? Would Magic Jack update any software on the Linux system after installation or otherwise provide any access which a hacker could use to compromise our clients’ records?
Charles
May 18th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
I purchased a MJ a month ago and spent at least 10 hours with “no tech support” in India who were totally unable to help me. I have super fast download/upload speed and QoS set up specifically for MJ along with ethernet connection to broadband. With all of this no one can hear me. All calls are at about 50-60% of what would be normal. I have tried corded phones, cordless phones and no difference.
I sent the MJ back for another thinking it was the MJ and have the same issue with this one. Then I found the unofficial MJ forum…..and guess what? there are a slew of MJ customers experiencing the identical problem. What’s with this?
Wouldn’t it be easier for MJ just to fix the coding to allow up to 100% instead of limiting the volume output. What good is a MJ if no one can hear you. I honestly could hear better with two cans and a string. Come on Dan…..if you really want to keep customers……fix this problem number one because it’s the worst!! I give it one more week and this MJ goes back too. I need a phone not a tin can. BTW/I had subscribed to the 5 year plan but that’s not gonna happen at this rate.
Joe
May 20th, 2008 at 12:43 am
I live in Hawaii Area Code 808 as of now service in that area code so I plan on using area code 510 I have relatives there. I spend a lot of time in th Philippines and was wondering if I use 510 number for my MJ can my relatives in that area code call me while I am in the Philippines for free as a local call??
May 21st, 2008 at 4:21 pm
I agree, too many whinners…I have had NO problems with the MJ. Has worked very well with a
medium speed DSL svc. The online support is not what folks are used to but they do try and help. Just waiting on porting so I can really start saving $$.
thanks Dan
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Dan I ordered one magicjack hocked it up and have had not one thing go wrong. May be Iam not getting my monies worth. Thanks for a great product.
May 24th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
I just received my magicJack and was able to get my area in the South Florida area (954) without a problem. I had Skype before and this is much better so far!
What a great product!!
May 29th, 2008 at 9:39 am
All,
Mostly negative comments here, so I thought I’d throw a positive one out.
I’ve have a MJ for 1 week. Works perfect! No problems, an absolute godsend!
To those that bash the technical support, just be patient. You guys are poineers of technology. To quote a classic, “Rome was not built in a day”. Who has Bellsouth? When I call their tech support I get sent to India, and most times I have to escalate the call to 2nd and 3rd tier support. Remember those days? Support trends are changing, we need to be more proactive online and support each other, hence the millions of support forums out there on the web. The result of this is costs will be kept down and documented peer support will be more readily available.
Having said that I think Mr. Dan a crew need to deliver on some key success factors.
1. Number porting should be TOP on your agenda for every strategy meeting. We can wait, but only so long.
2. Spend some money on your website. Help facilitate peer 2 peer support. Hire some part time MJ freaks to help answer forum questions. [plug] I’m a web programmer!
I manage a development team in India. My plan is to send each of my guys a MJ. How cheap is that?
Lastly, I’d like to congratulate Dan on his success! Please keep us posted on new developments!
The Mayor
maxlegend (a) yahoo/com
May 29th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
Going into the third month of M.J. use with few problems.
At one point it stopped working but I twiddled with the hosts file per instructions on the MJ forum and all was well again.
I’d have to give it about an 80% rating.
I wouldn’t trust it as my primary voice line (yet), but even if it worked half as well it would be worth twice the price.
SUPER deal if you have teens in the home and need another line or two for them.
Egg
“If you can’t be free, at least be irritating.”
May 30th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
I have just installed Magicjack and it works great for outward bound calls. When I first plugged in the phone, I called it from another number and it rang. I haven’t been able to get it to ring since. A popup comes up on the screen do I want to accept or reject the call, but if I’m not on the computer at the time, I have to wait to check the Voice Mail. The Live Chat is a joke, no way to reach a real person. HELP!!
Terry Turner
June 1st, 2008 at 10:42 am
I have had my MJs for almost a month. No problems at all. Those complainers out there need to stop. Nothing is perfect at first, so just be patient, please and give the company a chance. I have 2 cell phones…neither one works where I live, though there are cell towers for my service provider all around me…very frustrating and expensive.
Dan, thanks for a fantastic product and I look forward to your updates.
Sandy
June 1st, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Sir
I have a magic-jack…can i order another,with my same address,but with a different phone number??
pls adv..thanks
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:18 pm
The Better Business Bureau gives this company a “F”.
I was just about to go for the 30 day trial, when I decided to do some checking on this product. After reading so many complaints about returning the product, being charged before the 30 days etc. I thought the company may need more time to work the kinks out. Also as someone indicated on another site, the count for customers on the front page of the MJ site is bogus. If you watch it, it counts by 3’s. all the time. This doesn’t sound like good business to me.
I’ll be happy to try a MJ once I read more positive reactions.
http://www.bbbsoutheastflorida.org/BBBWeb/Forms/Business/CompanyReportPage_Expository.aspx?CompanyID=92008267
June 3rd, 2008 at 2:07 pm
To: dan@magicjack.com
Subject: Re: a suggestion from an editor at PC Mag
Importance: High
Dear Dan,
A friend at PC Mag gave me a head’s up about MagicJack some time ago. We are a high-tech PR firm in the Bay Area and in Boston. What a great idea, we thought. I had forgotten about it until two weeks ago when I purchased one. I decided I wouldn’t install till the Memorial Day weekend just in case it didn’t take only a few seconds.
I never expected what happened when I tried to install. First, with a properly inserted MJ in to two different USB ports, nothing happened. I tried a different phone thinking that the phone might be the problem. I even went to Best Buy and bought a new phone. Still nothing. Then I began a two and a half hour chat with someone on your chat service. When I installed, I saw that there was, according to the FastFix, a problem with a C.711 analog codec. I really wasn’t familiar with particular item so I asked the chat person what it was. She said she didn’t know. Her English was poor and she didn’t seem able to answer questions. Finally, after plugging and unplugging and reinstalling, she suggested that I download DivX.
I tried that. Download it and nothing happened. I could not get the phone to work. By then my patience was a little more than frazzled and I called Chat again. This time a man told me that I didn’t need C.711, I needed, “G.711.” Ok, I said, where do I get that? He said to download DivX. I told him I had already done that and he said that I was doing something wrong.
Again I asked (and you understand that “chatting” takes an incredible amount of time since no one answers until they’ve stopped helping someone else and I sat one time for three or four minutes before I received any answer) - and he suggested that I download DivX. I said I had just told him that I had already done so.
This time he said, “Turn his computer off and then he should begin again.” (Little problem with English?)
After three hours - honest to God - I asked for a supervisor and Amy got online and said that she (after nearly 1/2 an hour of trying) couldn’t fix the problem and she would pass it over to engineers who would contact me within a few hours by email to tell me what to do next. I said didn’t she think that the problem might be with the audio codec file? “No.”
So …. one day shot.
No email the next day so I called Microsoft since the msg711.acm which Amy kept referring to was obviously a Microsoft product. Microsoft won’t talk to you unless you pay $75 and frankly, it didn’t seem worth that, so I called Dell. Dell made my computer and are extremely helpful and very knowledgeable but in the course of a two hour attempt to get the audio codec downloaded into my computer, another afternoon was shot. BUT, I could receive a call and make a call IF I DIALED THE AREA CODE FIRST OR MY OFFICE PARTNER SITTING NEXT TO ME DIALED THE AREA CODE FIRST. OTHERWISE, NO GO. JUST A MESSAGE THAT SAYS IF YOU WISH TO MAKE THIS CALL YOU MUST DIAL THE AREA CODE FIRST. I was calling from 415, with a 415 number to a 415 number. My office partner had to call 415 to get me on my 415 number.
So, I said forget it. I had company and had to leave.
Yesterday, I opened my computer and could not open Word. Word is my life blood so it has to work. It seems that when the Dell tech was fixing one problem, he turned off my virus checker and all docs in Word are virus checked before opening so they wouldn’t work. Of course it took an hour for the guy from Dell to figure that out, but he did and Word worked.
Now the problem was that the phone wouldn’t dial without area codes. I “chatted” again with your chat people who assured me that if my new number was an 415 number (the number assigned by MagicJack is 415-632-3750) it would call all 415 numbers and they could call me. NOT SO.
So rather than spend more time with your CHAT hel today, I am asking you to tell me how to fix this. Maybe you could spend the money to have a real person call me and figure this out. Three days shot and the time to write this on the fourth day is not good business. When I call the editor back at PC Mag to tell him how “thrilled” I am (as he assured me I would be) I would like to be able to say that though there was a problem, eventually it was resolved.
Please do something to keep this customer.
Thank you,
June 5th, 2008 at 2:58 am
I GOT MY MAGICJACK COUPLE OF MONTHAGO AND FOR THE LAST TWO MONTH HAS NOT BEEN WORKING..WHEN I PLUGET IN I SEE THE BLUE LIGHT LIKE A FLASH AND IT TURNS OFF RIGHT AWAY
I TALK TO SOME KIND OF TECNICAL SUPORT PERSON ON THE WEB BUT THEPROBLEM WAS NEVER SOLVED..CAN SOME ONE HELP..I NEED TO REPLACE THIS ONE ..HOW IS IT DONE?
I ALSO NEED TO KNOW THAT IF CANCEL MY LAND LINE WITH THE COMPANY THAT IAM NOW AND JUST USE IN THE FUTURE THE MAGICJACK WOULD I BE ABLE TO USE MY FAX MACHINE??????THANKS
June 5th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
I got my MJ a couple of days ago and it works great. I have used it on several different XP machines with no problems. Most of these trouble reported above could be issues with the computer that people are using. Try another computer and see if you have the same issues.
June 11th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
I’ve been using MJ for months now. Yes, I have had some quality problems, but most can be attributed to my internet connection. I’ve used Vonage, and Skype, and MJ is a little below par, but not that bad. Once they add Linux support I will be MUCH happier.
If you are having problems, insure that your router has the latest firmware. I had to update mine to fix a SIP issue, not with MJ but with the fact that my router was not dropping all SIP connections without a reset, so after a while MJ could not send or recieve calls, and the log in the router stated that all SIP connections were in use.
Overall, I give MJ a “B” rating. Over time I will probably upgrade to an “A.” The product needs some time, but at $20 a year, can you beat it?
June 12th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
I ordered majic jack and the install went great. worked without a problem…the reception is not best at times but good enough.
I seen all comments even from a person claiming to know pc mag in a round about way to threaten mj company to get what she wants. And all others saying F business on better business and complaint after complaint. All I can say. I eat 40.00 buck in one day at resturants. The magic jack is working for alot people. Sorry just does not work for YOU. From what I seen I am impressed and hope this company ignores all complaints. I have seen to many companys fall because spending all there time with complaints and not development and Delivery. If this is held I see this company exceling greatly in upcoming months/years.
Even if My Magic Jack did not work. I am glad to see this technology working for so many others.
Signed.
Unselfish person
June 12th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
I have two questions for Dan, although I already know he won’t answer them honestly if at all.
1.) Dan, how can you claim to have invented a product when the truth is that it is a re-branded product actually manufactured by Tiger Jet of Taiwan?
2.) Dan, why do I have through an “Unofficial” forum site to get real answers for real questions? I am referring to http://unofficialmagicjack.forum2u.org as the forum site I reference.
June 17th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
DAN,
Great product!! I will most likely buy the extra 4 yrs before your prices increase..
When will you get around to adding a 585 area code for ROCHESTER, NY?
AND WHEN WILL MJ HAVE LINUX SUPPORT ? Or can I tweak a linux program to run MJ just without the interface?.
Justaman
June 18th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
My MJ unit never worked very well. That’s life. I’m glad that it at least works for some of you guys. I returned the unit well before the “Free 30 day trial period” had expired. I returned the unit on 4-4-08 (75 days ago) and I still haven’t gotten my refund. I have had 5 chats with MJ’s outsourced, foreign livechat customer service reps. I’ve been lied to by these reps, gotten conflicting info, told that the refund was in the mail, only to have the refund goal line moved back more than once. Opinions on the value and reliability of the MJ technology clearly varies. And if YOUR MJ unit works, bully for you, but gawd help you if you ever need to get either assistance from tech support or a refund. That’s just not going to happen. NOBODY has had a positive word for MJ’s livechat tech support and/or customer service. Those guys are bad enough to give any potential new MJ customers cause for serious pause.
And by the way, a local Better Business Bureau office in Florida has given this company an “F” rating based on their non-responsiveness to customer complaints. Buyer beware.
http://www.bbbsoutheastflorida.org/BBBWeb/Forms/Business/CompanyReportPage_Expository.aspx?CompanyID=92008267
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Works like a charm. I bought three a week ago. I wonder if most people have firewalls / security software that prevent the tool from not installing a software. Anyways i allowed windows to install the software and make registry changes and it worked.
One major issue though is that terms and conditions say they can advertise to you. I think that is a definite no no. If that ever happens i will migrate to SKYPE or a similar service with better privacy laws..
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Kudos on a GREAT product! It worked perfectly for me on both a laptop and a desktop - two locations - with a bad internet connection and a terrible internet connection.
One piece of advice I read was to get a digital telephone since many of the older portable phones interfere with wireless networks. I did that and my calls are much clearer than my landline phone.
I wonder if many of the problems are caused either by security software or spyware? I can only imagine how hard it must be to fix that kind of problem with chats… Maybe a really detailed instruction guide that could be downloaded as a .pdf would save on the chats? Put a giant disclaimer that you’re not responsible if other things break - but here are the things to try (and give them the same instructions you give your tech support folks).
June 25th, 2008 at 7:42 am
magicjack works great!
June 25th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
to all:
i build computers for a living, and have bought 3, and my mother has one also. FOR THE PRICE….ITS AWESOME!!!!!!!! i am a Linux man, so i am running windows on a PENTIUM 1, and a low grade dsl connection, and sounds better than my land line! i have ran into a couple of problems like ‘broken storage error’ but was easily resolved by simply reading. i have never had to have help from tech support. i give this service FIVE STARS, and my business supports magic jack as well. having said all that, i am anticipating my area code becoming available. i really hope MAGIC JACK WORKS WITH LINUX SOON!! that would make it all that much sweeter. call porting would be really cool, but i know my local telco will not go for it, as i tried to start a dsl service, and have already been there with them. my local telco is a rip at $65 a month, no long distance or features, in a town of 1400. got to say one thing…LOVE MY MAGIC JACKS, ROBERT
June 26th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
I’m very anxious to see magicJack in Linux. It’s too much of a hassle trying to get it running in a virtual machine.
June 30th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Lots of good information. I love my MagicJack. It works well. My only problem is the number porting. I still have my land line for that reason. If I can get the number porting working, I have many many people I can bring on board. That is the biggest hangup for me.
June 30th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
To Nancy, yes, you do have to dial area code even when making local calls. So what’s the big deal. As far as technical support, I did have a problem where after installing I would make a local call and call wouldn’t connect and immediately returned to dial tone after dialing number. Calls made outside my area code worked just fine. Talked to Live Chat, was immediately answered, given a link to an upgrade program and bingo works perfectly, and, yes, I must dial area code even with local calls. Sometimes people just can’t loose old habits, like dialing three extra numbers to save hundreds of dollars per year. Product exceeded all my expectations.
July 1st, 2008 at 10:28 pm
roberts or any mj user,
i am getting a broken storage error and inspite of repeated attempts with customer service live chat and tyring some things myself, unable to resolve it. worked for a few days and hen just nothing. any assistance would help. thanks in advance.
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:26 am
it would be super to have linux support!!!
July 2nd, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Linux please!
JC
July 6th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
I saw the advertisement on TV about MJ. I was in a hurry to go somewhere, so I did not check it out until later.
I have watched the counter for 24 hours, and see that it do NOT increment by 3 all the time. So maybe the counter is real, who knows.
I am concerned that the charges to my card, did not go through the first time. They said the card did not have the authorized amount to be charged. I received an email about the unavailable charge, tell me they needed a new card to charge.
I checked the card balance and nothing is on hold, and the amount could have been charged, if they would have done it properly. Thank god for there incompetence.
After reading all the messages, I want to cancel the order. So it seems that is an impossible task also.
By the way, I did try the online customer service and waited for almost 8 minutes for someone to answer me. Nothing ever happened, so I did not have a chance to find out if anyone was there or to speak/message anyone.
I did send an email to Dan, and received a reply back from Marvin, saying that I needed to go to the site and install the magicjack fix. The fix tries to install the MJ, and keeps telling me to put the MJ into any USB. have a real problem in doing this AS IT HAS NOT EVEN BEEN SHIPPED AS YET.
I think I will talk to the bank in the morning and tell them what is happening, and not to let the order or charge go through.
Also what is with the “Magic In” and “Magic Out” for a nominal fee. Thought I could make all the call I wanted WITHOUT paying any additional fee.
From what I read, the Magic In lets you receive the call and Magic Out lets you make the calls. I can not find out what the “nominal” fee is for either.
What is going on?
I can hear Dr Phil now, saying “What were you thinking?”
July 7th, 2008 at 4:29 am
they seem to have a credibility problem. many area codes that say “available” really means that you can dial into the area, but there may not be a phone number for you in your area. example, you live in AZ, however there are no “ports” for your local area, meaning that you can get a number assinged, it just will be out of your service call area, which means that if someone wants to call you they will incur long distance fees, and all tech support will say “it is comming soon”, or “our engineers are working on this issue”. truth is they do not have enough servers or personnel to handle the situation. they promise and promise, but do not deliver.
Dropped calls and othe transmission errors, they claim that the fault is in your end. But research shows that it is infact their equipment that is unable to handle daily traffic. either you can hear them but they connot hear you, or vice versa, or the call ubprptly ends.
July 7th, 2008 at 7:30 am
GNU/Linux support please
July 10th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
I do not understand those of you who are complaining about the service. I am lucky my MagicJack works great. If it did not just having the phone number with voice mail is worth it. I hope those of you with problems get them resolved. I want this company to make it.
July 10th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Have a MJ and like it, but need it to work with the 308 area code where my brother lives. When I dial his number, it kicks back to a dial tone and I’ve tried it with and without dialing a 1 first..
Had a couple of other people who had MJ’s try to call the 308 area code from different parts of the country and they to got kicked back into a dial tone and couldn’t get through..
Not happy about this situation and hope you can correct this soon!
July 13th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
I absolutely love MJ.. It is very very good.. I do though need it to work with Ubuntu Linux. My windows got a trojan so you know what happens after that.. Now I am sticking with Ubuntu for sure. Great program by the way.. But back to MJ it has to be the best thing I have ever seen.. And I am very grateful to Dan Borislow for his kindness and consideration for us who have very little money, Thank You Dan! You are giving us a break from the money hungry phone companies I appreciate this.
I notice you plan to make it able to handle linus OS.. Any idea as to when this might happen?
Also I hear people mentioning porting what do they mean by this?
Too many questions I know.. Sorry..
Dave
July 13th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
how do i fix the broken storage error? please help! thanks.
July 15th, 2008 at 8:03 am
I have an offer for you, I will handle some of you customer/tech help support calls online or through my MJ in the evenings inexchange for free unlimited service. I’m also a linux nut and could help there as well, MJ is compatable with linux if you know what you are doing. I’ve dont it.
Paul
July 15th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Paul, can you share some links for those of us interested in learning how to get MagicJack running in Linux?
July 16th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
I want to returned unopened MagicJack just recv’d. Pls. instruct address, phone # and dept. that will credit my Bank Account that was already charged over USD$ 110.00.
July 16th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Will answer be sent to my email address or should I expect response to this computer?
July 16th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
I checked the BBB links above and there is no mention of ANY complaints. What gives?
July 17th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Yes Paul please share with us how to do this with linux! I recently lost my windows to a virus and I am desperate to get my phone up again. Thanks
Dave
July 17th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Since many routers use Linux a Linux port of the software would make it possible to use this device with a router although this will likely require third party router firmware like DD-wrt or OpenWRT. Like many others I am waiting for linux support. Since I intend to use this with a Linux router (so I don’t have to keep my much higher power consumption PC running 27/7 - 5 to 20 watts vs 250 watts which works out to about $0.75/day difference depending on your electric rates) I want to have this run as a daemon (IE. make it so that any GUI front end is separate and optional) so that I don’t need X11 and a window manager or DE installed to run this. Also make the daemon very compact so that it can run on the small memory foot prints of these routers (will not be an issue for me since I am in the process of building my own lower power consumption x86 linux router) that many users will typically use.
Also most Linux users do not need the kind of hand holding that users of other OSes seem to need. Part of this is because linux users are in general more technically savvy (many work as programmers, DBAs, network support and the like) but also because the linux community has a long standing tradition of being self supporting. As a result a basic non-GUI daemon that is configured by way of text files in /etc along with a documented API (so that we could write our own GUI front ends) would be all that we need at least initially. In fact I suspect that if all that were available is a daemon that there would be open source GUI front ends available in short order.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:13 am
There are about 100 guys I know in 4 different admin/programming groups that would love to see MJ on there Linux machines. Sooner is better…. PLEASE!!! [:)
July 18th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
I contacted MJ live help and inquired about when this will transpire she said they are working on it and for me to check back shortly to see what is happening. This I will and I will post here again when I find something relevant.
Dave
July 21st, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Thanks for the post, Dave L! Please let us know as soon as you know more.
Hal- those are great bits you’ve shared. Thanks!!
July 25th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
The concept is great. However Dan’s PR dept is awful. And if he could make some changes to keep customers happy, I could sell 100,000 of these to people in the US who would then send them to relatives overseas.
July 26th, 2008 at 1:10 am
I just ordered a MJ after receiving a call from a friend who is using it. The call quality could not be differentiated from a landline or cel phone call. She had a little trouble getting it to run on her Mac, but she is not very computer savvy. Customer service spent time with her and now it works.
For those of you who are concerned about the comments re the BBB of SE Florida: I just clicked their link and it says the company is “Acceptable.” (C-) NOT a F as reported above. There are only 2 registered complaints and they could not be categorized.
I’m tired of paying the phone company $70 a month for service that is completely automated; the two times I have tried to call them about something I was on hold for an hour. Skype is great and I use it to call friends overseas for free, but it’s not practical for day to day calls as most of my friends are spending their time sitting in front of their computers.
I hope the phone number portability is enabled soon as I’d like to ditch Ma Bell altogether.
July 27th, 2008 at 11:09 am
There is no customer support at all. and their website doesn’t work at all. they have a login system to make changes. I never saw that working till now. I am so frustrated.
July 28th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Kay Graham Says:
May 9th, 2008 at 3:04 am
I’ve got an Eee to use while traveling and want get it a MagicJack. Too perfect.
But having a heck of a time getting MJ past Bit Defender on my windows computer. Finally did it, thanks to mj tech support but now my computer is acting strange. We shall see. Good thing I’ve got a Mac, too. lol
WHAT A STUPID PERSON!!!! AFTER HEARING THAT STATEMENT I’M SURE ITS USER ERROR ON YOUR PART!
August 1st, 2008 at 11:05 pm
magicjack Inventor Plans Linux support, More Area Codes thread
http://unofficialmagicjack.forum2u.org/viewtopic.php?p=18418
Please add to this thread request for linux native support
August 5th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
there needs to be a way to contac magicjack with a problem
August 5th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
please if there is would you let me know?
August 6th, 2008 at 12:06 am
Seems like that BBB Fla link that was an “F” rating has mysteriously changed to a “C” and all of the complaint counts for the last 36 months now show zero?! A little manipulation?
http://www.bbbsoutheastflorida.org/BBBWeb/Forms/Business/CompanyReportPage_Expository.aspx?CompanyID=92008267
August 9th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
I just purchased the jack a few days ago. It came within 2 days, however, when I viewed my credit card statement, they had gone ahead and billed me instead of on September 4. I quickly got online to their live chat and Regem cleared it right up. The very next day, the charged was reversed and all was well— just about. The only issue I have now is just getting a local area code for Lincoln City/Newport/Otis, Oregon. They are all local towns within the same area code and local calling area.
I hope we get some new numbers that are local for the 3 cities mentioned above along the Oregon Coast very soon. In time I hope Magicjack gets a customer service line, but as long as I have Dan’s email (Dan@magicjack.com) then I’ll be ok for now.
I hope I can get local numbers soon! I have many friends and family that want to sign up when the local numbers for this area come through.
Everything else is great about the new magicjack service.
Thanks!
August 19th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux!
.
.
XP is insecure, insecurable, continually breaks with visits to Windows Update, deletes it’s own User Profiles locking one out of their computer and data, has no viable support from M$ (ever talk to -those- fools?), requires a HUGE ongoing investment of time and continual education to maintain, constantly attacked by viruses, malware and hackers… the list goes on and on!
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.
Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux!
August 20th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Concerning the BBB. The rating has changed and the complaints are gone because the company has addressed those complaints. When the BBB receives complaints they contact the company in order to resolve the problems. If the company make reasonable attempts to fix the problems then the complaints are not posted. IMO the company went from and F to a C because they had to ramp up the customer service to meet the demand. It took some time to address all the complaints but they seem to have done so now.
I have have just very minor problems with my service and have recommended to many people…
If I had to make one complaint it would be “Where is my Linux driver?” We really need a Linux driver, this is the exact type of product that Linux users like. So…
Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, Linux, !!!!
P.S. One more, Where is my Tallahassee area code (850). It is the capital of Florida and should have been one of the first to be available. I know several of us in the 850 area code have to suffer with a different area code….
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:42 pm
I would also like to see Linux support. Seems like there are more of us with every passing day. How much longer will we have to wait for magicJack on LINUX?
Linux Linux Linux Linux Linux Linux Linux Linux!!!
Come on, Dan!
August 23rd, 2008 at 2:15 pm
The MJ works fine except for their tech support. I’ve had the MJ since May of this year. In the past 2 days I’ve been texting with them each time for over 2 hours. This mornings texting was said to correct an email problem after they handed me down to another higher class tech. I needed changed address and since then I csn’t even get into my account with them. I tested after my session with them to see if I left a voice mail that it would come to my new email address but no such luck it didn’t even announce a voice mail at my old email address. Texting their tech is like being in a revolving door. Going round & around and going no where. I’ve decided to make a complaint about there techs go no where service to the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) along with any Consumer Affairs and BBB that could help. I wish I had there corporate office address so I could go down there and talk face to face with the inventor of MJ. The guy might be a great inventor but whom ever he has running his operation couldn’t hand out a shopping cart at Wall Marts without fucking up. God I’m ready to take a plane to there offices if I just know where it’s located. I have a feeling there operation will in the very near future sink the company.
August 25th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
OH BOO WHO?
First of all, Hats Off to “Dan The Man”, somebody who has the the Resources, Ability and Guts to TRY and move us into a better technological existence. I mean, really,….. Do you see ANY other company (or person) anywhere who is offering anything even close?
Think about it. There are a LOT of people out there that DO NOT want this company to succeed. It does take revenue away from land line companies. But remember, we are the ones that will come out on top of this one. This is a “Product of the Year”.
Give MJ a Break. They are NEW (as was MS at one time). We are on the forefront of something fantastic.
To be a part of this and actually get it for Only $39.95 for the first year with even a possibility of $20 per YEAR after that is absolutely wonderful. I’m SAVING a BUNDLE just like the rest of you. So, Stop your WHINING, Learn how to spell and try to be a part of the solution. Years from now you will be able to say, “I was THERE and I Helped”.
By the way, can anyone say that they installed and used ANY Micro S Operating Sys without SOME problem? Tell the TRUTH NOW. Be HONEST…. Just where did ALL those FIX updates REALLY come from? YOU KNOW,….
DON’T YOU?
Also, let me say that like many of you, I too need it to work with Ubuntu Linux. When they have it available I’m IN. Until then, I’ll just have to make due on my “OLD” WinXP Sys.
Now, as far as the MagicJack, I saw it on TV…. (Mel, is probably making a small fortune on it just from those commissions.).
I ORDERED, (it arrived within 3 days), READ the INSTRUCTIONS, (Highly Recommended), Installed it AS INSTRUCTED, (also Highly Recommended), on a really, really “NOT SO NEW” Windows PC, (by the way) and guess what happened?
Go ahead,… GUESS.
It WORKS!!!!… And I’m going to get some more just to “GIVE AWAY”, as soon as our NEW website becomes fully functional (Hopefully, in September or early October). Go there and check us out. http://www.LegendaryPartnersInternational.org
Until then, All I want to say is THANK you DAN, you have only scratched the surface of what’s to come.
I’m sure you know it.
Michael
Legendary Partners International
August 28th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
I’ve installed my MJ on both XP and Vista with no problems. The thing works great and is awesome for the price.
Nicely put Michael.
TO: Dan@MJ - “YOU ROCK!”